Puka Nacua vs Trey McBride

“Puka Nacua (ADP ~230, finished WR5 as a rookie) and Brian Thomas Jr. are the modern proof points. But pointing to them ex post does not make them findable ex ante – the average outcome at their ADP was still a miss.”

“A potential Puka Nacua Rams extension is covered in this week's mailbag.”

“Even while the Rams shift offensive philosophy and use more heavy sets with multiple tight ends, Nacua continues to eat. It's rare to see a player of Nacua's caliber receive such small compensation, with his cap hit for 2026 at $1,204,244 compared to Justin Jefferson's $38,987,600.”

“Stafford is throwing to Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, so it is not shocking that he was so efficient last season. But we have also seen him be less efficient in this system in the very recent past.”

“Puka Nacua proved to be an elite high-volume target, leading the NFL with 129 receptions and averaging 107.2 yards per game while earning first-team All-Pro honors.”

“Nacua is coming off a career-high 10 receiving touchdowns, which, until 2025, had been the only area of his game that lacked. Perhaps with an improving defense, the Rams don't go quite as pass-heavy this year, but Sean McVay has nearly always been aggressive, and Nacua deserves to be a top-five pick while Matthew Stafford is healthy.”

“Off the field, Puka Nacua hasn't had a great offseason, and the Rams seem slightly hesitant to extend him, with reports suggesting that's not in their immediate plans, despite Nacua being extension-eligible and watching Jaxon Smith-Njigba reset the market. This sets Nacua up for what should be a massive prove-it year, both on and off the field.”

“Most of the players from the last few rounds of your draft won't be on your roster at the end unless you hit on a 2023 Puka Nacua or 2025 Alec Pierce or another similar breakout story.”

“With his declining ability and playing alongside Puka Nacua, he's not going to rack up targets like a usual fantasy WR1.”

“L.A. also has Turner, Byron Young, Puka Nacua, Steve Avila, Warren McClendon.”

“A record-setting extension for the Rams wide receiver is seen as a foregone conclusion, though Nacua's off-field decision-making could factor into the terms of his potential future extension and the Rams may decide there's something they need to see from Nacua before they can feel comfortable signing him long-term.”

“Even with one missed game last year, Nacua delivered on that momentum, setting new career highs with 129 receptions (most in the NFL), 1,715 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns.”

“McBride caught fire with positive touchdown regression while the Cardinals led the league in passing, and he ran 67 more routes than any tight end in at least 20 years.”

“He finished the season with 126 catches for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns on 169 targets. Among all pass catchers, McBride trailed only Puka Nacua in receptions. McBride also ranked third in targets among all pass catchers and tied for second in TD catches.”

“Last season, McBride averaged 18.6 PPR points per game. Five running backs and five wide receivers averaged more than 18.5 points per game in 2024, and 11 managed the same achievement in 2025. McBride caught fire with positive touchdown regression while the Cardinals led the league in passing, and he ran 67 more routes than any tight end in at least 20 years.”

“Whether you prefer Brock Bowers or Trey McBride doesn't really matter. Neither should be drafted this high. McBride caught fire with positive touchdown regression while the Cardinals led the league in passing, and he ran 67 more routes than any tight end in at least 20 years.”

“Trey McBride was first-team All-Pro after posting 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns.”

“Trey McBride was excited to have QB Jacoby Brissett back at practice at mandatory minicamp: "I feel like guys are excited that he was here. Guys want him to be here. Obviously, would love to have him in the building, but he's working through some things on his own. So we totally understand that. But you could just tell the presence that he brought today being in the building was awesome."”

“Trey McBride broke franchise records and officially stamped his mark as one of the best TEs in football. McBride racked up 315 PPR points, tying Travis Kelce's legendary 2022 season for the most at the position in over 15 years. Brissett absolutely unlocked him in the red zone, connecting for 10 TDs.”

“McBride caught fire with positive touchdown regression while the Cardinals led the league in passing, and he ran 67 more routes than any tight end in at least 20 years.”

“Last season, McBride averaged 18.6 PPR points per game, and Bowers averaged 15.5 in 2024, the better season of his two years in the NFL. It's incredibly hard for tight ends to score as highly as the top wide receivers and running backs, and both elite tight ends still have issues to face.”

“Trey McBride will continue to lead the way, but Yeboah could emerge as a backup ahead of the likes of Elijah Higgins, Tip Reiman, Teagan Quitoriano, Jameson Geers, and Rivaldo Fairweather.”

“He saw a truly absurd 1.93 end-zone targets per game, per the Fantasy Points Data Suite. No other player with as many games played was above 1.06 (Trey McBride).”

“The tight end position remains the toughest position to navigate in fantasy football, and if you don't pay up for a top stud like Brock Bowers and Trey McBride, finding the next mid-to-late-round breakout is key.”